The U.S. has been protectionist at least since the beginning of the Progressive Era... 100 years?

o.k.

Quote:

Liberal Americans at the beginning of the Progressive Era opposed protectionism and advocated for free trade...

o.k.

Quote:

Liberal Canadians at the beginning of the Progressive Era advocated for free trade right?

o.k., and still does.

Quote:

Who in China has ever advocated for free trade?

Do you want a name? I guess it would be their equivalent of their trade minister?

Does China want free trade. Yes, it does but the debatable point is in whether China or the US wants to claim unfair advantage?

Are all nations going to try to claim unfair advantage based on their power to try to do so. Do Free Trade agreements work to level the playing field.

I can offer an example of how Canada has won against the US a couple of times on the softwood lumber dispute. You can use that as your reference or you can hunt up another one.

It's going to become a detailed and complicated discussion on free trade isn't it! I would expect that Ruby will be polite and just read along for a while. And you know what we expect of each other already.

I'm thinking of changing my name back to Don G. Do you think we can work out some kind of agreement? I think it's causing unnecessary disruptions between us.

I predicted this kind of spin two days ago Ruby, but you wouldn't have understood what I meant.

In a nutshell Ruby: any politician can make the most stupid mistakes and come out smelling like a rose, if he's able to [b]spin the outcome in his favour.

That's how Trump operates. The interactions with N.K. and Russia are examples. Spin them both as successes for us Ruby! It's just your politics and the lack of any sophistication so far. But you're much better than you were when you started! Ask my boss!